Little Differences?

During my month long visit to France, I couldn't help but notice (and delight in) the little differences among lifestyle - particularly those that affected energy consumption. I wound up staying in Paris for my entire visit and realize some of the differences are common to some large American cities - like New York. Yet the average French citizen uses about half the energy the average American does, and I think some of the differences I noticed may be contributing factors.

• Transportation: Like many big cities, most people in Paris use public transportation. The Paris Metro is known for being one of the most efficient underground transportation systems in the world. Still, most of my stops were about 1/2 mile from where I lived and required a lot of walking underground to make connections, with regular stair-climbing involved. I couldn't help but notice what most Americans notice about the French - they are thinner and more fit-looking. I didn't see many gyms on my walks around the city. What would you rather do - stare at a tiny television screen while you use the elliptical machine - or walk quickly (everyone walks quickly there) through the rues de Paris?


• Heating: In general, thermostats seemed to be kept at a lower temperature. When I've visited colder areas of the U.S., I've often felt almost suffocated by the drastic change in temperature (and clothing requirements) between the outside and the inside. In Paris, I found myself comfortable keeping my coat on (and certainly my sweater) at restaurants, stores, offices and even the homes of friends.


• Water: Bathrooms are quite different! Fortunately, I did not have any contact with the infamous "Turkish toilets" - simply holes in the ground. I did notice that the regular toilets, without exception, were the "low flow" type and almost all of them - both private and public - had two choices for flushing: big flush and little flush.  Most French homes do not have bathtubs, but only showers. And these are not designed for long, leisurely hot showers. Most have hand showers with no hooks on the walls; they're used by hand. This, combined with cooler inside temps, had a definite effect on the length of my showers.


• Food: French food was wasted on me since I don't eat meat. But I enjoyed the leisurely pace of eating in both homes and restaurants. In general, French people eat dinner around 8 - mainly because they prepare it from scratch and need the time after work to do so. I noticed portions were much smaller than what I'm used to getting in restaurants here. And of course there are not nearly as many fast food restaurants. I did stop at a Starbucks coffee one day (mea culpa) and was served a typcial giant-sized latte, but in a ceramic coffee cup. You don't see as many people in Paris walking around with food and drink in hand - even on the Metro. Occasionally, I saw someone biting into the top of a baguette they'd just picked up at a bakery on the way home.  No "Big Gulps."  I think this also must contribute to the petite girth of most Parisians.


• Homes: I wasn't in a lot of them, but the ones I was invited to were much smaller than our average home here, but probably more like you would expect in New York City.  A strong difference I noticed, though, was the amount of stuff in them. Even in the more expensive ones, every wall wasn't covered with decorations and every corner filled with a piece of furniture - like we tend to (or hope to) do here. I appreciated the spareness and simplicity - and beauty - of it.

As much as I enjoyed the French and their ways, two typical Parisian behaviors continued to rub me the wrong way even though I grew in understanding as I talked with people about them - too much emphasis on clothing and a little too much social reserve. I give us credit here:

• Dressing down: I noticed immediately how very "put together" most Parisians are - men and women. While they may not have as many clothes (closets are small or non-existent), they seem to feel compelled to dress up wherever they go.  One guidebook described a woman engaged to a French man who one morning put on some sweatpants to run to the bakery at the corner. Her betrothed asked her in amazement, "You are going out like that??" When she replied that she was only going to the bakery, his response was: "But it's not nice for the baker!"  Questions about the sanity of dressing for the baker's pleasure aside, I did begin to comprehend that the French may consider it a civic obligation to look beautiful. After all Paris as a city has been obsessed for centuries with being the most beautiful city in the world.  But still, sometimes while wading through a street of smart-looking women and men in pointy shoes and matchy accessories, I longed to round a corner and come upon a big, fat, Gator-shirt- wearing redneck - or anyone in sweatpants. Didn't happen, ever. Americans, by and large, are a lot more easy-going, and possibly less self-conscious about clothing. I like that. We have way too much of it, but our general attitude toward clothing might be more sustainable for the long haul.


• Friendliness: I came to understand that Parisians, like many big city dwellers, tend to avoid eye-contact; there are a lot of faces to acknowledge on a short walk. What I can't understand is the general Parisian opinion that people who do make eye-contact, or - God-forbid - smile at a stranger seem shallow at best, and maybe even idiotic. I got used to it over time, and I thought a lot about whether it was true that Americans behave like silly puppies wagging their tails at everyone they meet. I especially took to heart the critique that acknowledging anonymous people in our path is a sign of shallowness. Honestly, I think not. I think smiling and greeting people we don't know is a lovely way of recognizing the humanity of our fellow human beings; it's encouraging, and it's kind. The first time I walked the dog around the neighborhood when I returned, I was caught off guard by the strangers who wished me a good morning or waved from their front porches. I love that about us. I think any kindness and recognition of the "other" is good for us and for the planet.

I think we have the heart, but now we need the resolve to live "simply so that others may simply live." That decision may be in the process of being made for us by our (global) crashing economy.